100:00:00,220 –> 00:00:09,220Some struggles in the Christian life come further down the track you move200:00:09,220 –> 00:00:13,600through life you’ve been a Christian 10 20 30 years and now you see things that300:00:13,600 –> 00:00:20,360make no sense to you. You experience things God allows things that you do not400:00:20,360 –> 00:00:27,680understand and you may well find as a mature believer, a resentment towards500:00:27,680 –> 00:00:33,540Jesus growing within your heart. Welcome too Open the Bible with Pastor Colin600:00:33,540 –> 00:00:37,580Smith. I’m David pick and glad you could be with us today and Colin I hope700:00:37,580 –> 00:00:42,380today’s message will be comforting and encouraging because for some of us it800:00:42,380 –> 00:00:47,380seems counterintuitive. You’re saying the longer we know Jesus the harder our900:00:47,380 –> 00:00:52,180hearts can become. Well here we are working our way through the Gospel of1000:00:52,180 –> 00:00:56,099Mark and we’re following the story of Jesus and the disciples and here are1100:00:57,040 –> 00:01:01,000people who are following him and to our astonishment we read that their hearts1200:01:01,000 –> 00:01:04,540were hardened. We think the ones with the hardened hearts have got to be the1300:01:04,540 –> 00:01:09,220opponents of Jesus and we’re resistant to him, but we’re being told here1400:01:09,220 –> 00:01:14,400that the disciples of Jesus down the line are coming into a situation where1500:01:14,400 –> 00:01:18,099they experience this difficulty. This is one of these places where I think the1600:01:18,099 –> 00:01:24,239Bible’s such a marvelous book. It speaks to every reality of a Christian1700:01:24,860 –> 00:01:29,279There will be times when you say now why has God allowed this? Why has this problem1800:01:29,279 –> 00:01:33,900come into my life and you begin to experience things coming up from within1900:01:33,900 –> 00:01:39,959even the redeemed life. Thoughts and feelings and you think what’s wrong2000:01:39,959 –> 00:01:44,320with me here? Now isn’t it marvelous to be able to come to the Word of God and2100:01:44,320 –> 00:01:49,239say these disciples experienced this and here’s the most marvelous thing of all2200:01:49,279 –> 00:01:55,040that Jesus was able to overcome this hardness of heart in his own people and2300:01:55,040 –> 00:01:58,839he was able to do it for them. He’ll be able to do it for you. Let’s take a look2400:01:58,839 –> 00:02:04,019at how Jesus did that, we’re in Mark chapter six today as we begin the2500:02:04,019 –> 00:02:10,460message Jesus overcomes resistance in his people. Here’s Colin. Now I think2600:02:10,460 –> 00:02:16,720there’s probably a surprise in the title for our message today, Jesus overcomes2700:02:17,059 –> 00:02:22,539resistance in his people. You kind of look at that, you say that, wait a minute, we2800:02:22,539 –> 00:02:27,559would expect the enemies of Jesus to resist him, but surely the followers of2900:02:27,559 –> 00:02:32,960Jesus, the friends of Jesus, God’s people, surely they’re the ones who love him.3000:02:32,960 –> 00:02:41,399Well it isn’t quite as simple as that and sometimes we who love the Lord Jesus3100:02:42,199 –> 00:02:49,279find a strange resistance to him building within our own hearts. And we’re going to3200:02:49,279 –> 00:02:54,000find this in the Bible. In fact the theme of the disciples resistance to Jesus3300:02:54,000 –> 00:03:00,919begins in Mark chapter 6 and then it continues through a large part of the3400:03:00,919 –> 00:03:05,339Gospel. But I want you to see that this theme of resistance runs all the way3500:03:05,339 –> 00:03:08,880through the chapter that’s before us today. You notice that at the beginning3600:03:09,100 –> 00:03:14,580we have the story of Jesus coming to his hometown and when he comes home he’s3700:03:14,580 –> 00:03:21,419rejected there. Then there is the story beginning in verse 14 about Herod who3800:03:21,419 –> 00:03:26,080hears the word of God from John the Baptist but rejects that word in that he3900:03:26,080 –> 00:03:32,520murders John the Baptist. And then to our surprise we find in verse fifty-two. If4000:03:32,520 –> 00:03:36,860you look at it there that Mark tells us that the disciples had not understood4100:03:36,880 –> 00:03:41,520about the loaves, because their hearts the disciples hearts the hearts of the4200:03:41,520 –> 00:03:46,899twelve were also hardened. Now this is a surprise4300:03:46,899 –> 00:03:52,080surely. Here they are following Jesus. If you look back to verses seven through4400:03:52,080 –> 00:03:55,759thirteen, you’ll see that Jesus has just sent them out on what we’d call a4500:03:55,759 –> 00:04:00,259short-term missions trip. Verse twelve, they have preached the gospel to others,4600:04:00,259 –> 00:04:04,160they have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, they have even delivered4700:04:04,380 –> 00:04:08,679people from demons, they have been involved in Christ’s work and yet at the4800:04:08,679 –> 00:04:14,119end of the chapter we find this very clear statement that the disciples hearts4900:04:14,119 –> 00:04:25,959were hardened. So if you find a hardness in your own heart at times, as a follower5000:04:25,959 –> 00:04:31,160of Jesus Christ, you need to know that you are not alone and there is much for5100:04:31,160 –> 00:04:37,399us to learn in this chapter of the Bible about how we are to navigate this kind5200:04:37,399 –> 00:04:46,600of experience. Have you ever wondered, as a Christian, why do I not love God more?5300:04:46,600 –> 00:04:51,880Why do I not have more joy in Jesus Christ?5400:04:51,880 –> 00:04:57,899Why is it that when I come to worship so often I find that my own heart seems5500:04:57,980 –> 00:05:05,459cold? Why is that? Now you see, you’re asking questions about the hardness5600:05:05,459 –> 00:05:12,859that can grow within your own heart, and I have two aims for our time together5700:05:12,859 –> 00:05:19,320today. The first is that we will see how our hearts can be hardened,5800:05:19,320 –> 00:05:23,880that we’ll understand how that happens. That’s going to be a very important thing.5900:05:23,940 –> 00:05:29,339But second, and even more important, is I want us to see how Jesus Christ6000:05:29,339 –> 00:05:34,179delivers his own disciples from hardness of heart,6100:05:34,179 –> 00:05:39,679because that is something we will need many times in our own journey through life.6200:05:39,679 –> 00:05:42,339So let’s start, then, with our Bibles opened by asking the question,6300:05:42,339 –> 00:05:47,040what makes a heart, heart? And I want to suggest three answers.6400:05:47,040 –> 00:05:54,779First, hometown unbelief hardens your heart.6500:05:54,779 –> 00:05:57,600Now, we’re looking at the first few verses of Mark chapter six,6600:05:57,600 –> 00:06:00,299and please focus on them with me together.6700:06:00,299 –> 00:06:05,019We’re told here in verse 1 that Jesus went to his hometown.6800:06:05,019 –> 00:06:07,179Now, that, of course, is Nazareth.6900:06:07,179 –> 00:06:10,579And you’ll see that he followed, verse 2, his normal pattern.7000:06:10,579 –> 00:06:13,200When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue,7100:06:13,220 –> 00:06:15,100and many who heard him were amazed.7200:06:15,100 –> 00:06:17,899But look why they were amazed.7300:06:17,899 –> 00:06:20,600Where did this man get these things, they asked?7400:06:20,600 –> 00:06:24,399What’s this wisdom that he’s been given — that he even does miracles?7500:06:24,399 –> 00:06:27,480Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son,7600:06:27,480 –> 00:06:30,540and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?7700:06:30,540 –> 00:06:32,359And aren’t his sisters here with us?7800:06:32,359 –> 00:06:35,760And they took offence at him.7900:06:35,760 –> 00:06:36,820And Jesus said to them,8000:06:37,459 –> 00:06:40,140In his hometown.8100:06:40,140 –> 00:06:45,059Among his relatives and in his own house, is a Prophet without honour.8200:06:45,059 –> 00:06:47,700And we’re told that Jesus could not do any miracles there8300:06:47,700 –> 00:06:50,579except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.8400:06:50,579 –> 00:06:53,859It’s a rather wonderful exception, I think — don’t you?8500:06:53,859 –> 00:06:59,179But it says he was amazed at their lack of faith8600:06:59,179 –> 00:07:03,660that is in his own hometown.8700:07:03,660 –> 00:07:06,739Now, here we’re learning something very significant —8800:07:06,739 –> 00:07:09,459that the people who were most familiar with Jesus8900:07:09,459 –> 00:07:11,779chose not to believe in him.9000:07:11,779 –> 00:07:15,739And Mark is telling us that the response in Jesus’ hometown9100:07:15,739 –> 00:07:18,019was noticeably different9200:07:18,019 –> 00:07:23,500from the response that he received almost everywhere else.9300:07:23,500 –> 00:07:26,100Others welcomed him gladly,9400:07:26,100 –> 00:07:31,220but in his hometown, they resisted him.9500:07:31,220 –> 00:07:34,579Now, that reminds us something that we find throughout the Bible9600:07:34,600 –> 00:07:38,540that unbelief is the besetting sin9700:07:38,540 –> 00:07:42,260of those who are most familiar with God’s truth.9800:07:42,260 –> 00:07:43,899You find that in the Old Testament,9900:07:43,899 –> 00:07:47,859of course, where God’s people were given his law10000:07:47,859 –> 00:07:50,299and they were given his promises.10100:07:50,299 –> 00:07:52,339But the book of Hebrews tells us10200:07:52,339 –> 00:07:56,000that they were not able to enter into the promised land10300:07:56,000 –> 00:07:59,859because of their unbelief.10400:07:59,859 –> 00:08:00,899Whose unbelief?10500:08:00,899 –> 00:08:02,779The unbelief of the people of God,10600:08:02,799 –> 00:08:05,059the unbelief of those in all the world10700:08:05,059 –> 00:08:07,399who were given the promises and the law10800:08:07,399 –> 00:08:09,299and had been brought up with it10900:08:09,299 –> 00:08:10,839over 40 years in the desert11000:08:10,839 –> 00:08:12,480and so forth and so on.11100:08:13,779 –> 00:08:15,359Unbelief is the besetting sin11200:08:15,359 –> 00:08:17,940of those who are most familiar with God’s truth.11300:08:20,019 –> 00:08:23,320So here is a snare for us.11400:08:25,019 –> 00:08:26,399I want to speak a word11500:08:26,399 –> 00:08:30,799to young people who are being brought up11600:08:30,799 –> 00:08:32,059in Christian families.11700:08:32,099 –> 00:08:33,780So all of the youngsters in the church,11800:08:33,780 –> 00:08:36,020will you listen up for just a moment11900:08:36,020 –> 00:08:37,539because I want to say something12000:08:37,539 –> 00:08:41,200especially and particularly to you.12100:08:44,780 –> 00:08:48,820Growing up in a Christian family, as I did,12200:08:48,820 –> 00:08:50,659and coming to church every Sunday12300:08:50,659 –> 00:08:53,599as I did when I was young and that’s what you’re doing,12400:08:55,059 –> 00:08:57,140the biggest danger12500:08:57,140 –> 00:09:01,460is that you will hear many things about Jesus12600:09:02,299 –> 00:09:04,619and just not believe them.12700:09:04,619 –> 00:09:06,280But you’ll just say, yeah, I know these things,12800:09:06,280 –> 00:09:08,419I know these things,12900:09:08,419 –> 00:09:11,419but not actually believe them.13000:09:12,679 –> 00:09:13,979And here’s the problem,13100:09:13,979 –> 00:09:15,940if you just learn things about Jesus,13200:09:15,940 –> 00:09:18,260but you don’t actually believe them,13300:09:18,260 –> 00:09:20,219you know what happens?13400:09:20,219 –> 00:09:23,559It hardens your heart.13500:09:24,619 –> 00:09:26,520So there’s an important warning here.13600:09:28,059 –> 00:09:30,460Now let me give you a kind of illustration13700:09:30,460 –> 00:09:33,059to tell you why this is so important.13800:09:33,059 –> 00:09:37,659I want you to imagine that one night you cannot sleep,13900:09:37,659 –> 00:09:39,179and because you can’t sleep,14000:09:39,179 –> 00:09:40,619you decide you’re going to go14100:09:40,619 –> 00:09:45,219and visit the track at your nearest high school.14200:09:45,219 –> 00:09:47,760So you go to the high school track, it’s pitch dark,14300:09:47,760 –> 00:09:50,719but there is one light and there’s a beam of light14400:09:50,719 –> 00:09:53,960that shines down on the track, a kind of spotlight,14500:09:53,960 –> 00:09:57,179but the spotlight is programmed so it’s moving.14600:09:57,179 –> 00:09:59,179It moves around the track.14700:09:59,179 –> 00:10:00,559You think, oh, this could be fun.14800:10:00,559 –> 00:10:04,359So you get onto the track and you stand in the spotlight,14900:10:04,359 –> 00:10:08,020but because the spotlight’s moving, you have to move.15000:10:08,020 –> 00:10:10,320And if you don’t move with the light,15100:10:10,320 –> 00:10:14,880if you don’t move in the light, guess what happens.15200:10:14,880 –> 00:10:16,979You find yourself out in the darkness.15300:10:17,940 –> 00:10:20,700Now, that little picture helps me to understand15400:10:20,700 –> 00:10:23,820something that Jesus said that is very important for us15500:10:23,820 –> 00:10:25,739who receive God’s truth,15600:10:25,739 –> 00:10:28,020whether we’re young or even when we’re older.15700:10:28,340 –> 00:10:32,580You find it in John’s Gospel, and chapter 12 and verse 35.15800:10:32,580 –> 00:10:33,820The words will be on the screen15900:10:33,820 –> 00:10:35,919so you can note them down if you’d like to.16000:10:35,919 –> 00:10:36,900Jesus said this.16100:10:36,900 –> 00:10:40,500He said, you’re going to have the light16200:10:40,500 –> 00:10:43,020just a little while longer,16300:10:43,020 –> 00:10:47,580so walk while you have the light.16400:10:47,580 –> 00:10:49,780Otherwise, the darkness will overtake you.16500:10:49,780 –> 00:10:51,580You gotta walk while you have the light16600:10:51,580 –> 00:10:54,780before the darkness overtakes you.16700:10:54,780 –> 00:10:56,919In other words, when you receive God’s truth,16800:10:56,919 –> 00:11:00,539when you receive God’s light, you’ve got to move in it.16900:11:00,539 –> 00:11:01,479You’ve got to obey it.17000:11:01,479 –> 00:11:02,719You’ve got to believe it.17100:11:02,719 –> 00:11:06,880Otherwise, you find that you stop learning.17200:11:06,880 –> 00:11:07,780You stop growing.17300:11:07,780 –> 00:11:10,799What happens is that you end up in darkness17400:11:10,799 –> 00:11:14,520and your heart is hardened.17500:11:15,679 –> 00:11:20,679Very simply, unbelief is a decision or a choice17600:11:21,359 –> 00:11:24,559not to follow the light that you have received.17700:11:24,559 –> 00:11:25,380That’s what it is.17800:11:25,380 –> 00:11:28,219Unbelief is a choice, or a decision,17900:11:28,219 –> 00:11:31,179not to follow the light that you have received,18000:11:31,179 –> 00:11:34,919and it always ends up with hardening your heart.18100:11:34,919 –> 00:11:36,599The Bible’s full of examples.18200:11:37,479 –> 00:11:40,320Remember, Pharaoh received light from God.18300:11:40,320 –> 00:11:42,780He saw miracles, all these plagues.18400:11:42,780 –> 00:11:44,340They were miracles.18500:11:44,340 –> 00:11:46,179But he didn’t follow the light he received18600:11:46,179 –> 00:11:48,799and his heart was hardened.18700:11:50,200 –> 00:11:52,580Nebuchadnezzar was wonderfully blessed by God.18800:11:52,580 –> 00:11:55,400Just all kinds of success Nebuchadnezzar had18900:11:55,400 –> 00:11:57,119and it was given to him by God,19000:11:57,119 –> 00:11:59,140but he didn’t follow the light he received from God19100:11:59,140 –> 00:11:59,960and what happened?19200:11:59,960 –> 00:12:01,780His heart was hardened.19300:12:01,780 –> 00:12:03,919Saul was the first king of Israel.19400:12:03,919 –> 00:12:07,219God put him in a position of leadership among God’s people,19500:12:07,219 –> 00:12:09,340but he didn’t follow the light that God gave him.19600:12:09,340 –> 00:12:12,119He turned away from it and his heart was hardened,19700:12:12,119 –> 00:12:14,299and think of this.19800:12:14,299 –> 00:12:16,919Judas was one of the 12,19900:12:17,979 –> 00:12:20,820and he chose not to follow the light that he received20000:12:21,080 –> 00:12:23,859and his heart also was hardened,20100:12:23,859 –> 00:12:26,419so unbelief hardens your heart,20200:12:26,419 –> 00:12:29,500and the greatest danger for us who hear God’s word20300:12:29,500 –> 00:12:31,859and who learn many things about the Lord Jesus Christ20400:12:31,859 –> 00:12:33,880every Sunday is that we just hear them,20500:12:33,880 –> 00:12:38,700but we do not obey, practice, believe what we learn,20600:12:38,700 –> 00:12:42,979and unbelief hardens your heart,20700:12:42,979 –> 00:12:45,219so don’t let that happen to you.20800:12:45,219 –> 00:12:49,140Be someone who believes the word of God as God teaches you,20900:12:49,140 –> 00:12:51,719as God gives you light, as you understand things,21000:12:51,719 –> 00:12:54,539believe what God is teaching you,21100:12:54,539 –> 00:12:56,419and you will find that you grow as a Christian,21200:12:56,419 –> 00:13:00,000life, unbelief hardens your heart.21300:13:00,000 –> 00:13:01,340You’re listening to open the Bible21400:13:01,340 –> 00:13:02,820with Pastor Colin Smith,21500:13:02,820 –> 00:13:04,820and we’re looking at three ways21600:13:04,820 –> 00:13:07,659in which hardness grows in a person’s heart,21700:13:07,659 –> 00:13:10,200and we’ll come back to look at two other ways21800:13:10,200 –> 00:13:11,219in just a moment,21900:13:11,219 –> 00:13:13,340so I hope you’ll stay with us.22000:13:13,340 –> 00:13:15,460Pastor Colin has a new booklet out.22100:13:15,460 –> 00:13:19,080It’s called What Jesus Says to Skeptics.22200:13:19,080 –> 00:13:20,440Maybe you have questions22300:13:20,440 –> 00:13:22,239or maybe you’re not quite sure22400:13:22,239 –> 00:13:24,659about some of the things Christians believe in,22500:13:24,659 –> 00:13:27,340well, the good news is Jesus loves skeptics22600:13:27,340 –> 00:13:30,400and he has many answers for them.22700:13:30,400 –> 00:13:31,239This month,22800:13:31,239 –> 00:13:34,400we’re offering five copies of Pastor Colin’s booklet22900:13:34,400 –> 00:13:37,500to anyone able to set up a new direct debit23000:13:37,500 –> 00:13:39,039to the work of Open the Bible23100:13:39,039 –> 00:13:41,559in the amount of five pounds per month or more,23200:13:41,559 –> 00:13:44,219or a one-off gift of 50 pounds.23300:13:44,219 –> 00:13:47,119Full details, terms, and conditions are on our website,23400:13:47,119 –> 00:13:48,700and I’ll be talking to Colin more23500:13:48,940 –> 00:13:50,719about this offer later in the programme.23600:13:50,719 –> 00:13:52,219So I hope you’ll stay with us.23700:13:52,219 –> 00:13:55,619Our website address is openthebible.org.uk.23800:13:56,820 –> 00:13:59,099Back to the message now, here’s Colin.23900:13:59,099 –> 00:14:02,460Here’s a second way in which we can become hard24000:14:02,460 –> 00:14:03,739if we are not careful.24100:14:03,739 –> 00:14:07,859Habitual sin, that sin repeated many times,24200:14:07,859 –> 00:14:09,940hardens your heart.24300:14:09,940 –> 00:14:13,840And I’m taking this from verses 14 through 2924400:14:13,840 –> 00:14:16,140when we’re told this terrible story really24500:14:16,200 –> 00:14:21,200about King Herod and how he murders John the Baptist.24600:14:21,679 –> 00:14:25,239And if you look in verse 20, you’ll see there24700:14:25,239 –> 00:14:27,640that Herod, King Herod, knew that John24800:14:27,640 –> 00:14:30,000was a righteous man, he was a holy man,24900:14:30,000 –> 00:14:33,460and he even liked to hear John teaching the truth,25000:14:33,460 –> 00:14:36,940he liked to listen to John, Mark says in verse 20.25100:14:38,380 –> 00:14:41,020But here’s the strange thing, that this man Herod25200:14:41,020 –> 00:14:44,619who liked to hear the truth, he liked to hear a sermon,25300:14:44,659 –> 00:14:46,880he liked preaching and so forth,25400:14:46,880 –> 00:14:48,020he liked to hear the truth,25500:14:48,020 –> 00:14:50,280but what he did was he followed the flesh.25600:14:50,280 –> 00:14:53,059So there was a kind of double thing going on in his life.25700:14:53,059 –> 00:14:55,159And that hardens your heart.25800:14:56,239 –> 00:14:58,359We know that Herod’s palace was really25900:14:58,359 –> 00:15:02,119a den of indulgence, and you get the flavor26000:15:02,119 –> 00:15:04,419of what his palace was like.26100:15:04,419 –> 00:15:07,580When you read this story, it tells us about a party,26200:15:07,580 –> 00:15:09,780it must have been a very drunken kind of party,26300:15:09,780 –> 00:15:14,039I think, because Herod at one point sees a girl dancing.26400:15:14,080 –> 00:15:16,539And he makes this extraordinary offer.26500:15:16,539 –> 00:15:18,520He says, well you can ask me anything you want26600:15:18,520 –> 00:15:21,820and I’ll give it to you, even up to half of my kingdom.26700:15:21,820 –> 00:15:24,299And the girl asks her mother, what should I ask for,26800:15:24,299 –> 00:15:25,960and then the mother says, you just ask26900:15:25,960 –> 00:15:27,440for the head of John the Baptist.27000:15:27,440 –> 00:15:30,359And Herod agreed to the murder27100:15:31,280 –> 00:15:35,320of the man who spoke the word of God.27200:15:35,320 –> 00:15:37,880See that is what sin does to you.27300:15:37,880 –> 00:15:41,359The habit of indulging the flesh hardens your heart.27400:15:41,359 –> 00:15:43,099And that really is the warning27500:15:43,099 –> 00:15:46,419that we receive from the story of Herod.27600:15:47,340 –> 00:15:49,799Something fascinating happened, I found it interesting27700:15:49,799 –> 00:15:52,679and it just gave me some light.27800:15:52,679 –> 00:15:55,059I was working on preparing this message27900:15:55,059 –> 00:15:58,559on Friday morning at home, working on the computer28000:15:58,559 –> 00:16:01,479and writing and an email came through28100:16:01,479 –> 00:16:02,840from the Church Office here.28200:16:02,840 –> 00:16:05,159And it was a warning28300:16:05,159 –> 00:16:09,159about an email virus that is going around.28400:16:09,159 –> 00:16:10,619And this is what it said.28500:16:10,659 –> 00:16:12,000This is what came through28600:16:12,000 –> 00:16:14,820just while I was working on this message right here.28700:16:14,820 –> 00:16:17,659It said, if you receive an email28800:16:18,820 –> 00:16:22,960with a PowerPoint presentation named,28900:16:22,960 –> 00:16:25,380”Life is beautiful,’29000:16:25,380 –> 00:16:28,500do not open the file under any circumstances.29100:16:29,359 –> 00:16:30,760Delete it immediately.29200:16:32,059 –> 00:16:34,460If you open this file,29300:16:34,460 –> 00:16:36,979a message will appear on your screen saying,29400:16:36,979 –> 00:16:38,239it’s too late now.29500:16:38,239 –> 00:16:40,140Your life is no longer beautiful.29600:16:42,000 –> 00:16:44,859Subsequently, you will lose everything on your PC,29700:16:44,859 –> 00:16:46,580on your computer,29800:16:46,580 –> 00:16:48,020and the person who sent it to you29900:16:48,020 –> 00:16:49,880will gain access to your name,30000:16:49,880 –> 00:16:52,380your email and your password.’30100:16:54,559 –> 00:16:57,659Now, that arrived just as I was looking at a verse30200:16:57,659 –> 00:17:02,260in Hebrews 3, verse 13,30300:17:02,260 –> 00:17:04,180where the writer says,30400:17:04,180 –> 00:17:08,219be very careful that you’re not hardened30500:17:08,219 –> 00:17:10,959by sin’s deceitfulness.30600:17:12,020 –> 00:17:13,760Sin’s deceitfulness.30700:17:13,760 –> 00:17:16,319And you see, sin’s deceitfulness is just that.30800:17:16,319 –> 00:17:19,599It promises a happiness that it cannot deliver.30900:17:19,599 –> 00:17:22,040It deceives, it draws us in,31000:17:22,040 –> 00:17:23,400and then it destroys,31100:17:23,400 –> 00:17:25,800just like that computer virus.31200:17:25,800 –> 00:17:27,040Life is beautiful.31300:17:27,040 –> 00:17:28,319Oh, I want to know more about that.31400:17:28,319 –> 00:17:29,160What’s this?31500:17:29,160 –> 00:17:30,000Life is beautiful.31600:17:30,959 –> 00:17:33,920And I open it up, and it destroys.31700:17:35,979 –> 00:17:38,800Now, you see, that’s the deceitfulness of sin31800:17:38,800 –> 00:17:40,260that the Bible warns against.31900:17:40,260 –> 00:17:42,199It hardens your heart,32000:17:42,199 –> 00:17:44,040it destroys your life.32100:17:44,040 –> 00:17:46,979And you know, the Christian is in a constant battle32200:17:46,979 –> 00:17:48,160against two things.32300:17:48,160 –> 00:17:49,520We’re always battling against sin,32400:17:49,520 –> 00:17:53,119and we’re always battling against the power of unbelief.32500:17:53,119 –> 00:17:55,920And that is why in Hebrews chapter three in verse 12,32600:17:55,920 –> 00:17:57,140the writer says,32700:17:57,140 –> 00:17:58,880brothers, he’s writing to Christians,32800:17:58,900 –> 00:18:03,900see to it that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart.32900:18:04,099 –> 00:18:05,380Why these two things?33000:18:05,380 –> 00:18:07,660Because unbelief hardens your heart,33100:18:07,660 –> 00:18:12,140and habitual sin hardens your heart.33200:18:12,140 –> 00:18:14,260It makes you cold towards God,33300:18:15,180 –> 00:18:17,420and dull towards his word,33400:18:17,420 –> 00:18:21,280and it puts a shell around you that makes you resistant.33500:18:22,420 –> 00:18:26,459So see to it that these things are not growing in you.33600:18:26,479 –> 00:18:30,939There’s two things that may cause hardness of heart,33700:18:30,939 –> 00:18:33,760first, hometown unbelief,33800:18:33,760 –> 00:18:37,079and second, habitual sin.33900:18:37,079 –> 00:18:38,079Here’s the third.34000:18:39,099 –> 00:18:44,099Hidden resentment hardens your heart.34100:18:45,079 –> 00:18:46,859Now, I want us to focus in on what’s happening,34200:18:46,859 –> 00:18:48,699particularly to the disciples.34300:18:48,699 –> 00:18:50,339We’ve looked at what happened in Nazareth34400:18:50,339 –> 00:18:52,500and what happened to Herod,34500:18:52,500 –> 00:18:54,380but the disciples are in a different position34600:18:54,380 –> 00:18:55,219from these folks.34700:18:55,219 –> 00:18:56,699What’s happening to them?34800:18:56,699 –> 00:19:00,380Well, let’s look at verses 30 through 56.34900:19:00,380 –> 00:19:05,339This hardness in the disciples is a new turn in the story.35000:19:05,339 –> 00:19:08,660Up until now the disciples have been in awe of Jesus.35100:19:08,660 –> 00:19:11,380You know, who was this that even the winds35200:19:11,380 –> 00:19:14,520and the waves obey Him?35300:19:14,520 –> 00:19:17,260But now they’ve got involved in ministry,35400:19:17,260 –> 00:19:19,459and as that has happened,35500:19:19,459 –> 00:19:23,560they have found new questions and new frustrations35600:19:23,560 –> 00:19:26,619that they did not have before.35700:19:26,619 –> 00:19:29,979And I want you to notice that the particular struggle35800:19:29,979 –> 00:19:32,640the disciples come to hear35900:19:32,640 –> 00:19:36,239is one that comes further down the line36000:19:36,239 –> 00:19:38,239of following the Lord Jesus Christ.36100:19:38,239 –> 00:19:42,280It comes to them after they’ve been involved in ministry.36200:19:42,280 –> 00:19:45,359After verse 12 they’ve been preaching to others.36300:19:45,359 –> 00:19:47,660After verse 13 they’ve been used36400:19:47,660 –> 00:19:49,640by the power of the Holy Spirit.36500:19:49,640 –> 00:19:52,439So this is something that may not come so much36600:19:52,520 –> 00:19:56,839to a younger Christian as to a mature believer36700:19:57,760 –> 00:19:59,319who has been following Christ36800:19:59,319 –> 00:20:01,760and serving Christ for some time36900:20:01,760 –> 00:20:03,719and suddenly to your surprise37000:20:03,719 –> 00:20:07,760you find yourself right where the disciples were37100:20:07,760 –> 00:20:10,280here in Mark and chapter six.37200:20:10,280 –> 00:20:12,280Some struggles in the Christian life37300:20:12,280 –> 00:20:15,500come further down the track.37400:20:15,500 –> 00:20:16,900You move through life.37500:20:16,900 –> 00:20:18,959You’ve been a Christian 10, 20, 30 years37600:20:18,979 –> 00:20:23,060and now you see things that make no sense to you.37700:20:24,160 –> 00:20:25,400You experience things.37800:20:25,400 –> 00:20:28,719God allows things that you do not understand.37900:20:29,800 –> 00:20:33,839And you may well find as a mature believer38000:20:33,839 –> 00:20:37,400a resentment towards Jesus growing within your heart.38100:20:37,400 –> 00:20:39,979Well, that’s what we’re looking at here in verse 5238200:20:39,979 –> 00:20:42,160when we read that their hearts were hardened.38300:20:42,160 –> 00:20:44,560Now, how did this happen?38400:20:44,560 –> 00:20:45,800When did this happen?38500:20:46,800 –> 00:20:50,099Well, remember first that at this point38600:20:50,099 –> 00:20:53,979these disciples are surely grieving.38700:20:53,979 –> 00:20:56,760We’ve just been told in this very chapter38800:20:56,760 –> 00:21:01,300about the brutal, violent death,38900:21:01,300 –> 00:21:04,479the terrible loss of John the Baptist.39000:21:05,459 –> 00:21:08,339And Jesus said on one occasion that there was no one39100:21:08,339 –> 00:21:12,719greater amongst those born of women than John the Baptist.39200:21:12,760 –> 00:21:16,339And so you say, well, how could Jesus allowed this39300:21:16,339 –> 00:21:21,319brutal murder to happen to his own forerunner?39400:21:22,800 –> 00:21:27,800Pain and loss can provoke questions that build resentment.39500:21:29,140 –> 00:21:32,500You know, how can Christ’s kingdom really be near39600:21:32,500 –> 00:21:35,119when we are experiencing so much pain and loss?39700:21:36,619 –> 00:21:39,380How can the light really have come39800:21:39,380 –> 00:21:41,339when there’s so much darkness in our world?39900:21:41,520 –> 00:21:43,819Ever ask that question as a mature believer?40000:21:45,420 –> 00:21:48,359How can Christ really be the risen, triumphant40100:21:48,359 –> 00:21:50,819head of the church where on this Sunday40200:21:50,819 –> 00:21:52,880so many of his people are being persecuted40300:21:52,880 –> 00:21:53,780around the world?40400:21:54,859 –> 00:21:56,000They’re grieving.40500:21:57,300 –> 00:21:59,780Second, I think as we build a picture40600:21:59,780 –> 00:22:01,540of where the disciples are here,40700:22:01,540 –> 00:22:03,859it’s fair to say that they’re exhausted.40800:22:03,859 –> 00:22:05,619Look at verse 30.40900:22:05,619 –> 00:22:07,459Remember, they’ve just been on a missions trip41000:22:07,459 –> 00:22:08,859and anyone who’s been on a missions trip41100:22:08,859 –> 00:22:10,660knows how tired you are when you get back.41200:22:10,739 –> 00:22:11,819They’ve been going at it.41300:22:11,819 –> 00:22:13,500They’ve been involved in ministry41400:22:13,500 –> 00:22:15,199in verses seven through 1341500:22:15,199 –> 00:22:17,300and then in verse 30, where we pick it up,41600:22:17,300 –> 00:22:19,020the disciples gather around Jesus41700:22:19,020 –> 00:22:21,599and they report to him all that they have done and taught.41800:22:21,599 –> 00:22:23,859So here they come back from their missions trip41900:22:23,859 –> 00:22:28,339and they’re reporting their adventures in ministry.42000:22:28,339 –> 00:22:31,280Verse 31, because so many people were coming and going42100:22:31,280 –> 00:22:33,699that they did not even have a chance to eat.42200:22:34,680 –> 00:22:36,579Wow, it’s so busy there’s not even time42300:22:36,579 –> 00:22:37,900for a lunch break now?42400:22:38,900 –> 00:22:41,280It says in the book of Proverbs,42500:22:41,280 –> 00:22:44,859hope deferred, makes the heart sick.42600:22:44,859 –> 00:22:46,239Have you ever experienced that?42700:22:46,239 –> 00:22:48,780You think oh, I can just get to this point42800:22:48,780 –> 00:22:50,459and then I’m gonna get some relief42900:22:50,459 –> 00:22:51,900and then it doesn’t happen43000:22:51,900 –> 00:22:54,699and hope deferred makes the heart sick43100:22:54,699 –> 00:22:56,739and these guys are not only grieving,43200:22:56,739 –> 00:22:58,680they’re also exhastened.43300:22:58,680 –> 00:23:01,739Really helpful message on Open the Bible today43400:23:01,739 –> 00:23:05,979about how Jesus overcomes resistance in his people.43500:23:05,979 –> 00:23:07,500You’ve been listening to Open the Bible43600:23:08,040 –> 00:23:09,239with Pastor Colin Smith.43700:23:09,239 –> 00:23:10,880Our message was part of a series43800:23:10,880 –> 00:23:13,540called the Gospel According to Jesus.43900:23:13,540 –> 00:23:15,800And don’t forget if you ever miss one of the series44000:23:15,800 –> 00:23:17,680you can always catch up or go back and listen again44100:23:17,680 –> 00:23:22,680online at our website, openthebible.org.uk.44200:23:23,819 –> 00:23:26,579Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners.44300:23:26,579 –> 00:23:28,579That’s people just like you44400:23:28,579 –> 00:23:31,400and we’re very grateful for the support you give us.44500:23:31,400 –> 00:23:33,660If you’re thinking about supporting44600:23:33,660 –> 00:23:35,660Open the Bible in this way,44700:23:35,660 –> 00:23:38,020we have an offer for you this month.44800:23:38,020 –> 00:23:40,520If you’re able to set up a new direct debit44900:23:40,520 –> 00:23:43,400in the amount of five pounds per month or more45000:23:43,400 –> 00:23:46,339or give a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,45100:23:46,339 –> 00:23:47,839we’d love to say thank you45200:23:47,839 –> 00:23:51,579by sending you five copies of Pastor Colin’s new booklet,45300:23:51,579 –> 00:23:53,699What Jesus Says to Skeptics.45400:23:53,699 –> 00:23:55,439That’s one copy for you45500:23:55,439 –> 00:23:58,540and four copies to give away to your friends and family.45600:23:58,540 –> 00:24:01,079Colin, who is this booklet for?45700:24:01,079 –> 00:24:04,160Well people have always had very different reactions45800:24:04,160 –> 00:24:05,479to Jesus.45900:24:05,640 –> 00:24:07,000Some are committed followers,46000:24:07,000 –> 00:24:09,680others are hardcore opponents,46100:24:09,680 –> 00:24:10,939but they’ll be many people46200:24:10,939 –> 00:24:12,979who are listening to the program today46300:24:12,979 –> 00:24:14,939who would identify with neither of these things,46400:24:14,939 –> 00:24:16,780you’re not particularly committed to Jesus,46500:24:16,780 –> 00:24:18,560you haven’t rejected Him either.46600:24:18,560 –> 00:24:20,579You do have questions46700:24:20,579 –> 00:24:22,719and this booklet is for you.46800:24:22,719 –> 00:24:24,619And for others listening,46900:24:24,619 –> 00:24:26,900there will be a skeptic in your life.47000:24:26,900 –> 00:24:29,660There’ll be someone you know and love47100:24:29,660 –> 00:24:31,099who has real questions.47200:24:31,099 –> 00:24:33,260They’re not yet committed to Jesus,47300:24:33,280 –> 00:24:35,880this booklet really gives an opportunity47400:24:35,880 –> 00:24:39,560to listen to what Jesus has to say to skeptics.47500:24:39,560 –> 00:24:40,819Well, we’d love to send you47600:24:40,819 –> 00:24:42,359five copies of this booklet47700:24:42,359 –> 00:24:43,459as our way of saying47800:24:43,459 –> 00:24:44,520thank you for setting up47900:24:44,520 –> 00:24:46,660a new regular monthly direct debit48000:24:46,660 –> 00:24:49,199of five pounds per month or more48100:24:49,199 –> 00:24:50,439or a one-off gift48200:24:50,439 –> 00:24:52,939of 50 pounds or more this month.48300:24:52,939 –> 00:24:55,300If you value Pastor Colin’s teaching48400:24:55,300 –> 00:24:56,800on the radio and online,48500:24:56,800 –> 00:24:58,540you’ll be helping to keep it here48600:24:58,540 –> 00:25:01,079and to support the work of Open the Bible.48700:25:01,239 –> 00:25:02,800Full terms and conditions48800:25:02,800 –> 00:25:05,079about this offer are on our website48900:25:06,839 –> 00:25:08,520openthebible.org.uk49000:25:08,520 –> 00:25:09,719For Pastor Colin Smith49100:25:09,719 –> 00:25:10,920and Open The Bible,49200:25:10,920 –> 00:25:11,939I’m David Pick49300:25:11,939 –> 00:25:14,239and I hope you’ll join us again next time.49400:25:19,439 –> 00:25:20,719What does Jesus do49500:25:20,719 –> 00:25:23,859with disciples who make a mess of things?49600:25:23,859 –> 00:25:26,640Discover the extent of his patience with us49700:25:26,640 –> 00:25:29,319next time on Open the Bible.